Goblins, witches and giants - Greater Manchester as you've never seen it before

Chris Birse, 36, has created a map of the county which combines geography and myth

It is Greater Manchester as you have never seen it – full of goblins, witches, and giants. Chris Birse has created a spell-binding map that depicts the region’s rich history of mythology.

Chris, 36, quit his job at Aldi two years ago to pursue his dream of creating fantasy maps for a living. A big Lord of the Rings fan, he has made around 50 maps, with every map taking between three and four weeks to make.

“I got started around four years ago when I was drafting a novel. I just needed a map to go to the front of the book. Rather than getting someone to do it, I thought I would have a crack at it myself. That went well and it just snowballed from there.”

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The artist creates all his maps digitally using Photoshop, with him painstakingly drawing the various detailed features using his tablet.

The father-of-one is planning to do a map of every region in the country, with the Greater Manchester map being his most recent project. The Stockton-on-Tees native used Facebook and Reddit to gather suggestions to add to the Greater Manchester map. He ended up receiving around 1,500 responses.

“The feedback has been excellent but slightly overwhelming. I think because it is such a populated and urban county, there have just been so many suggestions.

“I have tried to take everyone’s suggestions on board as best as I could. I have represented Manchester’s historic industrial history with many of the old mills and factories. I have also captured Manchester’s Roman history, in the form of roads and forts.”

The map features a variety of different landmarks and features, new, old, and mythological all jostling beside each other.

All the mythological references come from real reports from the past. Chris said he found the most interesting aspect of map creation was the research and inclusion of old folklore and legends.

He went on: "I have included lots of mystical features as well, like giants, werewolves, witches, all sorts of stuff. This is interesting as it is not something you would typically associate with Manchester.”

Chris used the internet to research the myth included in his map of Greater Manchester.

The Teessider’s favourite features of the Greater Manchester map are Alphin Pike and Alderman’s Hill, between Stalybridge and Oldham.

He said: "These hills were once the homes of two giants, Alphin and Alder, who were friends until they both fell in love with Rimmon, a water nymph, who lived in the sparkling water of Chew Brook in the valley below.

"Rimmon chose to return Alphin’s affection; Alder was enraged. He flung boulders at Alphin, who responded in kind, and the two giants fought until Alphin was struck by a large rock and killed. Grief-stricken, Rimmon cast herself from an outcrop and died beside her lover."

Chris's maps are created on silk paper, tapestry and canvas, with sizes from 30cm by 42cm to 100cm by 75cm. He sells his maps online with prices range from £17.99 to £70.